The Roman state, from its foundation as a primitive village on the hills above the Tiber in the eighth Century BC, to the fall of the Western Empire in the fifth Century AD, and the final defeat of Byzantium in the 1450s, remains the longest existing state in the history of the world. Its achievements were immense, and the impact it had on the development of the modern world is still evident today.

In The Rise of the Romans, the first in a series of chronologies on the rise of Ancient Rome, Brian Taylor tells the story of the formation, battles and conquests of the Roman state. The expulsion of the Kings at the end of the sixth Century BC and the establishment of the Republic saw the beginning of a struggle for democracy in Rome as the plebeians demanded recognition in a patrician-dominated Senate. Victory in the wars with the Latin tribes, over Greece, Carthage and Macedonia, guaranteed Roman expansion throughout Italy and the entire Mediterranean. By the end of the Third Punic War in 146 BC the domination of Carthage and its extensive territory had been won.

Written in a clear chronological style, each year is detailed in turn, showing how events unfolded: the development of the Empire, its external battles and the outstanding generals and politicians who shaped it. Each yearly history is further subdivided into geographical events. The Rise of the Romans is interspersed with key notes on the results and impact of battles, political developments, or the actions of a particular leader or general.